Dental flossing has long been advised by those in the dental field as a way to reduce the number of bacteria between teeth that might cause decay; to prevent plaque build-up and avoid periodontal and other tooth and gum related diseases. While daily flossing is recommended at a minimum, some prefer flossing after meals and carry floss about for that purpose.
The typical floss dispenser carries a roll of floss within a small plastic box. Floss is pulled from the box and is trimmed on a cutting device supplied on the box. The cut length of floss is then wound about a finger on each hand so a length of floss connects the two fingers. The floss is drawn taut between the fingers and the taut span is inserted in the mouth and the fingers are worked to force the floss into the interstices between adjacent teeth. The floss is then moved back and forth between the teeth to clean the engaged surfaces. After several strokes, the floss is pulled out and the process is repeated on the next pair of teeth. It is not unusual to use more than a foot of floss in a single flossing procedure.
A person who has finished the above described operation is left with a length of unsanitary and unsightly floss to dispose of. While disposing of used floss is not always a challenge, it is in circumstances where a proper disposal receptacle is not available.
Standard forms of flossing tools typically involve the use of a rigid or semi-rigid elongated handle, which, in many such tools has a forked end. Floss is drawn taut between the bifurcations. The use of short lengths of floss with such tools is more economical than hand application, which can easily consume twelve or more inches of floss per use. However, the forks or other floss holders do not permit the tactile capability that is available during hand flossing, and the dispensing problem discussed above can remain a problem. Further, flossing tools that must be inserted into the mouth become unsanitary unless they are cleaned after each use.
While some flossing tools accommodate used floss on separate spools, hygiene is still a problem because contaminated used floss is not adequately separated from the fresh, unused floss.